anyone know where i can gain information on my grandfathers war service, tried ancestry no luck not having much information does not help at all,he was a birkenhead lad. would old wirral newspapers help, he was wounded,is there much information in birkenhead library.

Hi you should be able to get his medal card on ancestry!
Do you have his service number or any medals?
do you know which regiment?

let me know what info you have and we will take it from there.

If it's WW1 then you will get the stuff on ancestry but a lot of the records were destroyed during WW2.If you look at most of the stuff it looks burnt. A lot of my great grandafathers stuff is missing. If you can find his regiment then the regiment hold some records, the stuff I was searching for were held by the RWF and I even found out how he died from the regiment war diary. If it's WW2 onwards then you have to apply to the records office of the army ( type WW2 army records on google) explain who you are and they will find his records, they will make a charge for the search, £20-£30,but only they hold the records, the more info you can give them the better . If he is still alive, then the search is free but he has to apply. You must be NOK ( Next of Kin) child, grandchild etc)

If he was from Birkenhead I imagine he would probably have enlisted in the Cheshire Regiment.

The Cheshire Regiment Museum down in Chester may be able to help you. They have a very good website with lots of useful links & general info.

Link for the above.

http://www.cheshiremilitarymuseum.co.uk/

Have you got any photographs of him in uniform? Might be able to see what unit he belonged to.

Most guys joined the Cheshires from around here but equally a lot joined the Kings or Artillery Regiments etc.

you could look in Birkenhead Library at the absent voters books, if its first world war, but you would need an address or you will have to go through all the books.
Alan

M&FG Military and Family Genealogy
Peter Threlfall and Judith Beastall
[email protected]
They are on the Wirral and will find out all the info that is available on your Grandad. They researched for me and only charged £15. Highly recommend their service. I have their phone numbers too if you have no luck with the email.

Peter is a mate of mine. Good lad and knows his stuff on WW1.

Yes he is A really nice guy and genuinely loves his work!

as i have already said i have no possitive information at all, he was samuel mason born tranmere 1898,i know for sure he was wounded, i do have information on a man from the royal welsh fusiliers,he has two army numbers 11354 and 202583. i have his medal card but no way of knowing if this is the right person, thats why i was wondering, if he was wounded would it be mentioned in the local press at the time.

Plenty of good people on here to help you Stevie, if i may make a suggestion, have a lay down in a darkened room and when you wake up, take up Airfix model making.

He could be mentioned in local papers,but a lot were also reported in the local papers where maybe they had barracks.

Have you not got medals or a picture,also silver war badge was given to wounded soldiers and can be looked up at the national archives.

If my memory serves me right, one number would be his regimental No and the other his Battalion No.

Not so Bert. He obviously served with two different Regiments. Unlike today when your army number follows you everywhere (unless you get a commission) in the first war, each Regiment had its own numbers. Confused? You will be.

Peter can tell a lot from those numbers anyway. I think he has a full list of men who served in the Cheshires or at least certain battalions of the Cheshires, Best ring him. He is very approachable.

Just a thought, if he was wounded then he might after recovering have been sent to a reinforcement depot and remustered to another Regiment hence the number change. It is even possible his first battalion was so decimated in the action he was wounded in that they may have been disbanded and survivors spread amongst other Regiments. Happened a lot.

Maybe try to find his address on 1911 census and then try the absent voters list.
Many soldiers had lots of service numbers,as already said.

he lived in leighton rd tranmere, had 5 brothers ,2 sisters acording to the 1911 census. his brother hambleton was killed in france 1917 with the royal inniskilling fusiliers would you believe.

Found Hambletons records in 30 seconds just by the info you gave above.
Name: Hambleton Mason
Birth Place: Birkenhead, Cheshire
Residence: Birkenhead
Death Date: 16 Aug 1917
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Chester
Rank: Private
Regiment: Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Battalion: 8th Battalion
Number: 41935
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
Comments: Formerly 62125, Cheshire Regiment.

Spent a couple of hours on Samuel but afraid I can't find anything my end. The Cheshire Regt records would be the way to go with the other posters. Have searched RAMC and RA records

Confusing it is Helles, i know my memory banks are going and i probably need more RAM. During WW1 or there abouts, it was highly likely soldiers shared the same numbers but were in different regiments, also some serving soldiers had 2 numbers and never moved regiments, i think I'm right in saying they had a 4 digit Number changed to a 6 digit Number, Very confusing if one is looking for someone who served before and after the change.

Peter is my husband and yes I think he maybe able to help you!!! I am the second love of his life after this topic! lol
Get in touch with him

Aww hello, have met your hubby a few times at history fairs. X

and I am sure you will see him at many more! lol
WW1 is a real passion for him and I know he has helped many people with their research and made alot of people happy with the end result

Hi Jo.

Who is the mystery Helles that knows Peter and I????

.

Hi Steviebyday,

I'm the Pete Threlfall who some people have mentioned. One person is a little behind the times, as M&FG now charge £25 per biography/family tree we research. If I can be of any help, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please contact me via soldier13 rather than hogeybear as that is my wifes user name!!! Thanks

Hi, mate,

How's tricks?

Thanks for the kind words about me. We must meet up for a pint sometime, and have a yak. The research is going from strength to strength, and we are getting noticed more and more. I'm still serving.....just (25 years!). It doesn't seem that long ago that I was a snott-nosed kid asking my new found best mate about his 9 (?) years in the Signals, and should I go for a cadetship with the Post Office! And working under the bible bashing Phil Simpson!

Please give us a call, and we'll have a good chat, mate.

Hi
You researched my relative Albert Fletcher. As you said this was a few years ago so of course your fee will have gone up!
Worth every penny though.

Thanks for that, Bezzymate